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Scotty McCreery Finds Perfect Balance With University and Pop Life

Scotty McCreery is a 19-year-old with a schedule more hectic than most. He’s currently balancing his attendance at North Carolina State University with a booming music career. “I have school Monday through Wednesday and we hit the touring circuit Thursday through Sunday,” says McCreery.

And if that wasn’t enough, the “American Idol” Season 10 winner recently told Billboard.com that he’s in the process of finishing-up a new album. “We’re in the studio right now,” he says, “and we’ve got about 12 songs cut.”

McCreery made history in October 2011 as his debut album, "Clear as Day," bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 197,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Of the new tunes is a track called “See You Tonight." McCreery teased his forthcoming release by performing the song April 11 on “American Idol.” “That’s the one I’m really excited about because I had a hand in writing it,” he explains. “That is one of those things I didn’t have a chance to do on the first record because coming off Idol as the winner, you have a deadline for the first record. We were on the Idol tour as well so we were trying to squeeze it all in."

McCreery says he has been much more involved with the new material than he was with “Clear As Day” and stresses that since the last release, he’s grown tremendously as an artist. “You are going to see a more mature Scotty,” he explains. “You’re going to see the country roots that I love. I grew up on the old stuff.” In addition, McCreery says his sophomore album will feature heavy steel guitar and the fiddle. “It will still be current music though. That’s what we’re going for.”

The "Idol" winner reminisced about opening for Brad Paisley on his very first tour last year, citing him as his musical idol. “I would go out in a ball cap and a hoodie and watch him every night,” he explained. “He’s a lot of what I want to be as an artist. He stayed true to himself. He’s a family man. He has strong values but he’s also out there and he’s killing it in country music and selling out arenas and amphitheaters. That’s everybody’s goal and he’s achieved that.”